


Midnight Rides

by sadsentinel



Series: stardew valley [3]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25500991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadsentinel/pseuds/sadsentinel
Summary: A short one shot about Sebastian and Linus visiting Calico Desert.
Series: stardew valley [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080881
Kudos: 11





	Midnight Rides

"One for Calico Desert, please."

Sebastian fished out some money for his ticket and managed a light smile to the older bus driver. Before the bus had suddenly been repaired, she hadn't been doing so well. Now that she was back at her old job, Sebastian could tell her demeanor was improving. She seemed happier, more vital. Excited.

"This is gonna be the last stop for the night. You sure you don't wanna wait till mornin'?" The corners of Pam's eyes crinkled, and she spared a kind smile.

"I'm sure." A shadowy figure at the corner of the clearing caught Sebastian's eye. _Who could that be?_ He noticed the distinctive yellow fabric, caught in the streetlight for just a second. "Linus?" he called.

The shadow quickly shifted further into the darkness, as if startled.

"Linus! It's alright." The man in question slowly stepped forward, until his face was lit up by the nearby light fixture. A few moths fluttered around it, practically glued to the light.

"I really should be going, I—"

"Were you going to the Desert?" Even from a distance, Sebastian could see it in Linus' face; he was surprised by the question.

Sebastian had never been quite sure why everyone in town avoided the older man; he chose to live a little differently than most people, but why should that be grounds for ostracizing him? Sebastian lived somewhat differently than the others, and no one treated him badly for it. He knew some of the older members of the town thought he was simply playing computer games all day, but they didn't treat him like they did Linus. It almost made him sick to his stomach.

Linus walked forward to meet him, albeit slowly and a bit unsurely.

"I've wanted to go for quite some time, but I never seem to have the money." Sebastian shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling for loose change.

"Pam, make that two tickets. Round trip. We'll catch the morning bus back." He gave her the rest of his cash. She quickly counted it and waved them aboard.

"Let's go, then. I'm on a tight schedule. I have a hot date with a warm blanket and a midnight snack waiting at home." She grinned at her own joke. Sebastian began to board, then glanced back at Linus, who still seemed unsure. When he saw his face this time, the old man seemed shocked. Sebastian guessed he wasn't used to seeing this much kindness from anyone in town. Still, he followed, and Pam shut the doors behind them before rolling down the road towards the Desert.

The pair sat in the same row towards the back, on opposite sides of the aisle. The bus was empty that night, except for one other occupant, who Sebastian guessed lived in the Desert and was returning home for the night.

The moon perched high in the air, surrounded by a vast black field of stars. He could pick out several constellations Maru had taught him over the years, though only the more easy-to-spot ones. There was the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper. _A shooting star._

Tonight would've been a perfect night for riding. But tonight, Sebastian wanted to take in his surroundings. He wanted to relax and enjoy the view, rather than just the feeling of the warm night air and the loud hum of the cicadas.

Sebastian spared a glance in Linus' direction every once in awhile, curious to see how he was reacting. He could only guess this was his first ride in years.

Linus' eyes were locked outside, taking in every passing tree, every rock, every street sign. He was mesmerized.

"This must be your first time in a while, huh."

"Is it that obvious?" Linus smiled nervously, shifting his weight to face Sebastian more directly. "I haven't been to Calico Desert in a very, very long time... thank you for helping me." He smiled and nodded in thanks, but Sebastian waved it away.

"I'm sure you'd do the same for me, if the situation were reversed. You're a good person." Linus' cheeks flushed at Sebastian's compliment, and his voice wavered for a moment.

"I, uh... thank you."

He seemed hesitant to say anything else, so Sebastian stayed quiet, until the ride was nearly over.

"You're welcome to come say hi when there's events in town, by the way." Sebastian stared straight ahead, keeping his eyes off Linus in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable. The man voiced his thanks, but said nothing else. Even so, the tension in the air seemed to fade somewhat. Sebastian let the brief conversation dissipate as they rolled into their stop.

"Alright folks. We're here! I'll be back at nine o'clock, on the dot. Don't be late, or you'll be waitin' till it's all hot and gross outside." Pam had a certain charm about her that Sebastian couldn't quite place. Maybe it had something to do with her bluntness.

The other occupant hurried off the bus, eager to get home. Sebastian checked the time up front as he walked towards the doors. _Nearly midnight._

The Desert was barren, and devoid of life this time of night. Sebastian could hear the occasional soft sounds of desert animals scuffling about, but there wasn't a person to be found. Some light slipping out past living room curtains was the only indication of human inhabitance.

Sebastian waved his goodbyes to Pam, and she gave him a stern reminder when she'd be returning. _I won't have your Mama worryin' about you if you miss the bus. So you better not!_ Sebastian promised he wouldn't, but Pam didn't look wholly convinced. She hesitated when Linus reached the steps, but she warned him about being on time too. She pressed her lips together in a faint smile before shutting the doors and turning around towards town.

After the mechanical sounds of the bus faded into the distance, there was nothing left. The air was quiet and still, disturbed only by a soft breeze every now and then.

Sebastian began walking along the road, enjoying the peace and quiet. Back home, the only time it was this quiet was around three AM, when Maru finally put her telescope up and quit tinkering with her machines. Sebastian would never understand her fascination with all of that, but he wasn't complaining when she was fixing or upgrading his computer. He imagined if she was here now, her eyes would be trained on the stars above, and would stay that way until morning, when they faded away in the harsh desert sun.

Soft footsteps followed behind Sebastian, and he realized Linus probably didn't know his way around very well. It must've been many years since he'd last been here. Sebastian couldn't help but wonder how it had changed since then.

He turned and waved him forward, and Linus eventually fell into step beside him.

"Need a tour?" Linus nodded slowly, and Sebastian began pointing out the sights. "That's the Desert Trader's tent over there. Down that way is where Sandy's shop, Oasis, is." Linus nodded, looking around intently.

"This is amazing," he breathed. Sebastian smiled to himself, pleased he could give the old man a little joy. If everyone else in town was going to treat him like an outsider, this was the least he could do.

The pair walked through the cool desert night, talking and learning about each other. Despite the age difference, Sebastian realized they had more in common than he'd previously thought. Linus was a good person; it pained Sebastian to know how his fellow townspeople treated him.

"Hey, I meant what I said earlier."

Linus met his eyes, his brows drawn together in confusion.

"You're free to come say hi to me anytime. Don't let everyone else make you feel excluded. You're as much a part of this town as the rest of us."

The corners of Linus' lips curled upwards in a wide smile.

"Thank you, Sebastian."


End file.
